Nishit Kotak's Linkedin Analytics

Today I was the featured speaker at BNI Rendezvous speaking about lead generation for local restaurants and catering businesses.

Google's May 2025 report is here. Big changes are happening. Here’s what you need to know. Google had no major ranking updates this month. However, ranking volatility was intense. Many sites saw major shifts in their positions. Google is now linking its AI Overviews to more search results. This means more AI Overviews will connect to even more AI Overviews. The new AI Mode is multimodal. It now includes a follow-up search box feature. Despite these changes, click-through rates from AI Overviews remain low. Google Search Console made some big updates. They released hourly data in the API. Soon, desktop Discover data may be available when Discover rolls out on Desktop. There are also updates to several Search Console and Merchant Center reports. Another big change is Google's migration off ccTLDs. This is significant news, but it doesn’t mean you should follow suit. Google can now subscribe to your emails to find content not on your site. They are also eliminating special announcement structured data. In maps, Google shared its spam prevention numbers. They promised to remove reviews on schools. Video previews for video verification were also launched. In legal news, Google was ruled a monopoly for the second time. However, they reported strong earnings shortly after. Stay tuned for more updates.

What if I say, missed calls are costing your business a lot? 42% of customers won’t call back after a missed call. This leads to lost sales and frustrated customers. The problem is clear: ❌ Silent calls and spam make customers ignore unknown numbers. ❌ No follow-up means leads slip through the cracks. ❌ Manual callbacks waste time and delay responses. SWAS has the solution: ✅ Auto-SMS on missed calls. Instantly text customers: "We tried calling! Need help?" ✅ Two-way chat. Let them reply, book appointments, or ask for a callback—all via text. ✅ CRM tracking. Log every call, find hot leads, and automate follow-ups. ✅ 100% compliant. Built-in PECR/TCPA opt-outs keep you safe. UK businesses using SWAS recover over 35% of missed call leads. They turn ignored calls into closed deals. Want a demo? Comment "SWAS" or message me directly.

SEO is a game changer for businesses. Mastering it opens doors to success. Having spent over a decade immersed in the world of SEO, I’ve seen it all - the highs, the lows, and everything in between. I truly understand how SEO works because I’ve lived it, breathed it, and helped countless businesses grow through it. The landscape is constantly evolving, especially with Google’s frequent updates. Every change challenges me to learn something new and sharpen my skills. But one thing I’m absolutely certain of: this is my expertise, and I know exactly how to make SEO work for you. Here’s some basics how I navigate this ever-changing maze - and how you can too: ↳ Stay updated. I’m always on top of the latest SEO news and trends. Staying informed is the key to staying ahead. ↳ Optimize for users first. I focus on what your audience truly needs because great content is what drives real, lasting traffic. ↳ Use data wisely. I dig deep into analytics to uncover insights that shape smart, effective strategies. ↳ Adapt quickly. When Google makes a move, I adjust tactics fast. Flexibility isn’t just a skill - it’s a necessity. SEO isn’t just a job for me - it’s a passion and an art form. When you embrace it with the right guidance, your business can soar to new heights. And that’s exactly what I’m here to help you do.

This got me thinking. Positive reviews can change the game for your business. Using them well can help you beat your competitors. Here's how to weaponize positive reviews: → Amplify Your Social Proof: Feature top reviews on your homepage and product pages. This shows new customers that others trust you. Create comparison widgets that show your ratings next to competitors'. This highlights your strengths. Develop case studies from your best reviews. Tell detailed stories of customer success. → Strategic Placement Tactics: Run retargeting ads that showcase your reviews. Target visitors who checked out competitors. Use review snippets in Google Ads. This highlights your advantages right away. Create "vs competitor" landing pages. Use real customer feedback to show how you stand out. → Content Marketing Integration: Transform reviews into blog content. Write posts like "Why customers prefer us over X." Create video testimonials that highlight your strengths. Address common weaknesses of competitors. Develop comparison infographics using real review data. Visuals can make your points clear and convincing. → Operational Advantages: Analyze review patterns to find your unique strengths. Focus on what you do best. Address negative competitor reviews. Show how you solve those pain points. Implement a referral program for happy customers. This encourages them to spread the word. → Ethical Considerations: Always be authentic. Never fake reviews or misrepresent competitors. Focus on your genuine strengths. Stay honest to build trust. By using positive feedback wisely, you can create a strong market position. This makes it hard for competitors to keep up.

Local directory listings are vital for small businesses. Ever wondered how customers find you online? It starts with local directory listings. These online profiles show key details about your business. Think name, address, phone number, website, and services. Here are some popular UK listings: - Yell.com - Thomson Local - Scoot - 192.com - Bing Places - Facebook Business Page - Hotfrog UK - Cylex UK - TouchLocal - Yelp UK Local directory listings help businesses in many ways. They boost local SEO and improve visibility on Google Maps. They drive traffic to your website and build trust. Customers can easily find and contact you. These listings support your Google Business Profile rankings. They increase your overall exposure across the web. More visibility means more leads and calls. In today’s digital world, local directory listings are essential. They help customers find, trust, and contact your business online. Don't miss out on the chance to grow your business. Use these listings to stand out and succeed.

Fake reviews are a big problem. New laws are here to fight them. This 2025, things are changing. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 makes it illegal to post or pay for fake reviews. This law takes effect in April 2025. It aims to clean up online reviews for good. Google is stepping up too. They are working with the CMA to improve how they handle fake reviews. They will enforce stricter rules against businesses and reviewers who break the law. Here’s what you need to know: New Legislation: - The DMCCA bans fake reviews. - This law protects honest businesses and consumers. Google's Actions: - Enhanced Detection: Google is using AI to find and remove fake reviews quickly. - Sanctions: Businesses may lose their ability to post reviews if they violate policies. - Transparency: Google might show alerts on business profiles that have fake reviews. The EU is also looking to create laws to fight fake reviews. The Digital Fairness Act will tackle unethical practices online. How can you help? Report fake reviews. You can flag reviews on Google’s Business Profile page. If you see something suspicious, use Google Support to report it. Together, we can make online reviews trustworthy.

Online reviews hold great power. ↳ They shape what people buy.   ↳ They build trust in brands.   ↳ They guide decisions like friends do. A key fact for businesses: 90% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. This shift in consumer behavior is driven by several factors: 1) Social proof influences choices.   2) The volume of reviews offers more perspectives.   3) Transparency builds trust when reviews are authentic.   4) Declining trust in ads makes peer reviews feel real.   5) Reviews heavily impact purchase decisions. → Consumers rely on others’ experiences to guide them.   → Negative reviews are also crucial; they help assess fairness. Not everyone trusts reviews completely. Some still worry about fake reviews. Yet, online reviews provide diverse opinions quickly. Businesses that focus on genuine feedback gain an edge. This trend shows that reviews are almost as trusted as advice from a friend. Embrace this shift. Use reviews to connect with customers and boost your brand.

The quickest way to improve GBP video verification: → Get Video Previews → Review before submitting A smooth video verification process saves time and reduces mistakes. With Video Previews, you can check your recordings first. This ensures clarity and accuracy. No more resubmissions. You get to see what you recorded. You can catch errors before they become problems. This feature is a game changer. It helps you submit only your best work. Here is the official release from Google: 📢 [Launched Today] We're thrilled to announce a new feature to streamline your video verification: Video Previews! Now, you can review your recordings before submitting, ensuring clarity and accuracy – saving you valuable time and reducing the need for resubmissions. Learn more about video verification in our Help Center and if you’re having trouble with verification, you can find the contact us button within the verification status tool here https://goo.gle/4jNIAmK

Think user intent satisfaction doesn’t matter? Think again. Google doesn’t just rank pages based on keywords anymore—it measures how well your content actually solves the searcher’s problem. And most businesses are missing this. But you can turn it around. Here’s how: 1. Decode the True Search Intent Stop guessing—analyse the top-ranking pages for your target keywords. Are they guides, comparisons, or product pages? Match their format. 2. Master the "Satisfaction" Signal Google tracks if users stay, engage, and don’t return to search. Improve content depth with FAQs, step-by-step guides, and multimedia. 3. Leverage Semantic SEO Use related terms

SEO suffers when we ignore blogs. Let’s not make that mistake again. When we overlook blogging for our website... We miss out on key benefits. → We lose chances to rank higher in search results. → We miss out on organic traffic. → We fail to build trust with our audience. Why? Because we underestimate the power of fresh content. Blogs boost SEO in many ways. Here’s how: Keyword Optimization ↳ Blogs let you target specific keywords. Using them in titles and headings helps you show up in search results. Content Freshness ↳ Regular updates keep your site relevant. Search engines love fresh content and rank it higher. Enhanced Website Authority ↳ Quality blogs build your site’s trust. This can lead to backlinks from other sites, boosting your SEO. Improved Search Engine Rankings ↳ Optimized blog posts increase your chances of ranking higher. Higher rankings mean more visitors to your site. Backlink Acquisition ↳ Great blog content attracts backlinks. These links show search engines your content is valuable. Enhanced User Experience ↳ Blogs answer user questions. This keeps visitors on your site longer, which is a positive signal to search engines. Increased Brand Awareness ↳ Blogs help you reach more people. They build your brand as an authority, leading to more conversions. Don’t overlook blogging. It's vital for your SEO success.

The wait is over, it’s time to rise. You’re not lost, you’re just getting started. A simple approach, but one that works wonders. Local businesses need to get noticed online. To show up at the top of Google searches, focus on a few key areas: 1. Google Business Profile

SEO is changing. Many sites saw drops in rankings. This is likely due to a Google update last month, April 2025. Google did not announce any major changes. Yet, many noticed shifts in traffic and impressions. This suggests Google is refining its algorithms. The focus is on quality and helpfulness. Google wants content that informs and engages users. High-quality content is now a must. AI may play a bigger role. Speculation suggests that AI affects ranking factors. This shift could change how we create content. User engagement matters more than ever. Metrics like page load speed and mobile optimization are crucial. These factors show how good your content is. Smaller sites face more challenges. Some have struggled since the September 2023 Helpful Content Update. They may find it hard to regain visibility. Website owners must adapt. Creating user-friendly content is key. Focus on expertise and build trust with your audience. The lack of clear communication from Google frustrates many. SEO professionals need to understand these changes to adjust their strategies. The landscape of SEO is shifting. Stay informed and create content that truly helps users.

Slow website speed is a killer. It crushes your SEO. Here’s the truth: if your site is slow, you lose visitors. Google says page speed matters. It’s a ranking factor for both desktop and mobile. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, 53% of mobile users will leave. That’s a huge loss. Slow loading speed also cuts your crawl budget. Search engines can’t index as many pages if your site drags. This leads to a poor user experience. Frustrated visitors mean lower engagement. That hurts your rankings. So, how do you fix this? Start with these free tools: - Google PageSpeed Insights - GTmetrix - WebPageTest - Lighthouse (in Chrome DevTools) These tools help you find speed issues. Next, tackle common speed killers. 1. Unoptimized Images     - Compress images with TinyPNG     - Use modern formats like WebP     - Implement lazy loading     - Set proper dimensions  2. Excessive HTTP Requests     - Combine CSS and JS files     - Use CSS sprites for icons     - Minimize plugins and widgets  3. No Browser Caching     - Set proper cache headers     - Leverage browser caching for static resources  4. Unminified Code     - Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML     - Remove unused code  5. Slow Server Response     - Upgrade hosting (consider VPS or dedicated)     - Implement a CDN     - Optimize database queries     - Use caching (OPcache, Redis)  6. Render-Blocking Resources     - Defer non-critical JavaScript     - Load CSS asynchronously when possible  7. Mobile Optimization Issues     - Implement responsive design     - Test on real mobile devices     - Optimize for mobile-first indexing  For advanced speed optimizations, consider: - Implementing AMP for critical pages   - Using HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 protocols   - Preloading key requests   - Server-side rendering for JavaScript-heavy sites   - Adopting a performance budget to maintain speed  After you fix these issues, measure the impact. Monitor rankings for target keywords. Track changes in organic traffic. Check Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console. Measure conversion rate improvements. Even a 1-second improvement can lead to big SEO gains. In today’s world, speed is not just about user experience. It’s a key ranking factor. Make speed optimization an ongoing process. Regularly audit your site as you add new content and features. Your website speed matters. Don’t let it kill your SEO.

Fake reviews are everywhere. They hurt businesses. → Damage to Reputation and Trust: Fake reviews kill trust. Local businesses rely on word-of-mouth. Negative fake reviews scare off customers. Positive fakes create false hopes. Disappointment leads to real bad reviews. Trust takes years to build. It can shatter in moments. → Financial Impact: Fake reviews cost money. They can lead to lost sales. Small businesses feel this the most. They often lack resources to fight back. Repairing damage costs time and money. Some businesses even close because of this. Research shows fake reviews cost $152 billion yearly. → Legal and Operational Consequences: Creating fake reviews can lead to legal trouble. Businesses must follow consumer protection laws. They need to watch for fake reviews to avoid fines. This adds to operational costs. More complaints mean more customer service work. → Impact on Online Visibility and Competition: Fake reviews mess with online rankings. Honest businesses get pushed down. This makes it hard for them to attract customers. Dishonest competitors gain unfair advantages. Removing fake reviews is tough, especially for small businesses. Fake reviews are a serious problem. They damage trust, hurt finances, create legal risks, and distort competition. Local businesses must stay alert. They need to protect their reputations to thrive.

SEO takes time to work. It doesn’t happen overnight. So to those looking for quick results, I need to tell you: → If you want real change, be patient. → Don’t expect magic in a week. → Understand that steady wins the race. You need to know few things: → How old is your website? → How tough is the competition? → Are you consistent with your efforts? You can see early wins by focusing on long-tail keywords. These are less competitive and can bring traffic faster. But for those big, competitive terms, it could take longer. You need to build your content quality and relevance. Also, don’t forget about backlinks. The stronger the links to your site, the better your ranking. Technical SEO is key too. Make sure your site is healthy and easy to navigate. If you run a local business, local optimization matters. Claim your Google My Business listing and get reviews. SEO is a long-term game. Focus on steady improvements, not quick fixes. The results will come if you stay committed.

The #1 mistake businesses make with Google Ads is not tracking conversions. Without tracking, you run ads blind. You waste money and miss chances for growth. Why This Is a Huge Problem: You can’t measure ROI

Success isn’t about luck. It’s about showing up. It’s about being consistent. My journey in BNI taught me this truth. I learned that value comes from commitment and effort. 🏆 Awards are nice, but they tell a deeper story. ✅ 60-Second Speech Award – This taught me the power of clear, strong messages. It’s not about talking a lot. It’s about saying a lot in a little time. ✅ Featured Speaker – I shared ways to help local businesses. Real strategies bring real results. Helping others grow is the best reward. ✅ Most Referrals Given – Giving first is the key to receiving. When you help others, you create a network of support. Referrals flow when you focus on others. These awards show my dedication. They show my active role in the BNI community. Each award represents my drive to contribute. ☑ Keep learning. Stay curious and open to new ideas. Engage with others and share knowledge. Add value to every interaction. When you become a connector, success follows. Gratitude fuels my journey. I am thankful for the BNI community. Together, we grow. Together, we win. Here’s to more referrals and more growth. Let’s keep pushing forward.

Referrals drive business growth. I’m proud to share my recent achievement at BNI. I got my certificate for most referrals passed last month at BNI. Referrals are key to success in any business. They help build trust and create strong networks. I am grateful for the support from my BNI chapter. The professionals I connect with inspire me every day. Together, we grow and succeed. Here are my steps for building a strong referral network: 1. Build Trust:  ↳ Establish strong relationships with your contacts.  ↳ Trust leads to more referrals. 2. Be Active:  ↳ Attend networking events regularly.  ↳ Engage with others in your field. 3. Offer Value:  ↳ Share knowledge and resources with your network.  ↳ Help others succeed, and they will help you. 4. Follow Up:  ↳ Stay in touch with your contacts.  ↳ Regular check-ins keep you on their minds. 5. Celebrate Success:  ↳ Acknowledge the referrals you receive.  ↳ Thank those who help you grow. Referrals are a two-way street. Let’s collaborate and achieve mutual success.

Did you know that businesses with a strong online reputation can see up to 4 times more reviews and significantly higher conversion rates? That’s not just a number—it's a game changer for your growth. Reputation marketing is all about leveraging what your customers say about you to attract new leads and build trust. Instead of just managing negative reviews, this strategy actively amplifies positive feedback, turning satisfied customers into your most powerful advocates. Here’s why it matters: It boosts your visibility across platforms, helping more people find your business. It builds social proof, making potential customers more comfortable choosing you. It turns happy clients into repeat buyers through automated engagement. Are you already using your reviews and testimonials as marketing assets? If not, you might be missing out on a simple yet effective way to grow. Just think—your best reviews could be your next sales pitch. Would love to hear your thoughts—how are you leveraging reputation marketing in your business?